Page 32 of Red My Lips

When I pull out my wallet to pay, Stevie flashes me a look that says she’s not sure what’s going on, but she approves. She announces my total and accepts my credit card, her eyes glancing past me every once in a while. I don’t have to look to know what’s happening behind me.

“Here you go,” Stevie hands me my receipt, an entertained smile tugging on her lips. “Please come again soon.”

“Oh, I definitely will.” I flash her a bright smile. “Bye, Stevie.” With that, I strut out the door, leaving the chaos I designed in my wake. Stepping outside, I breathe in the fresh summer air and slide on my sunglasses.

Wow, what a beautiful day.

Chapter Fourteen

Gage

The sun set a while ago, daylight is long gone—leaving the easy darkness of night. The sounds of the city echo through the buildings and fade into the background as white noise. Even if it weren’t so pitch black outside, I wouldn’t hesitate for a second.

Footsteps sound in the parking lot with the jingle of keys. Dane approaches where I’m waiting by his car. Even though he doesn’t see me coming, I know he senses me.

But not until it’s too late.

Stepping up behind him, I don’t even allow him to turn around and look at me before I strike. Clamping my hand on the back of his head, I smash his face down onto the side of his car, hard enough to knock him unconscious and break his nose in the process.

Whistling to myself, I lean down to hoist him over my shoulder in a fireman’s hold and head towards the back door into my office.

The entire building is now empty, Dane was the last one here. I let him leave for the night—let him clean up his station and lock up the shop through the main doors—like it was just a normal night for two reasons. One, it’s better for me that the cameras saw him leave for alibi reasons. And two, because I want him to feel the full weight of terror when I give him what’s coming for him.

He spent the last three days looking over his shoulder for me, keeping one eye on the door at all times. I watched on the security cameras as he glanced around every ten seconds and jumped at every little sound. His paranoia was satisfying, so I let it build until he drowned in it. And just when he thought he was safe, that he got away with it—here the fuck I am.

There aren’t any cameras in my office, not ones that anyone has access to. The surveillance for my office is kept hidden on a separate server that only I have access to for confidentiality reasons. Anders handles the rest of the security for my business, but my office is off-limits. My clients value their privacy, and so do I.

Carrying Dane into my office, I lock the door behind me before I drop him onto my tattoo chair. The plastic sheeting covering the leather crinkles under his weight as I strap his arms onto the armrests and secure his ankles down. Reaching into my tattoo station, I grab a pair of black disposable gloves and pull them on with a snap.

The metallic chink of my knife sounds in the silence as I flip the blade open. Being none too gentle, I begin cutting and ripping the clothing off his body until he lies naked and pathetic. I sneer at the tattoos scattered over his body. They’re tacky and ugly as fuck.

The blood dripping from his bashed nose gets me excited. Adrenaline courses through me, and the anticipation swells. This fucker is about to feel pain like he’s never experienced before.

I’m going to enjoy this.

If I were a patient man, I would sit and wait for him to wake up on his own. But I’m not. So instead, I decide to give him a little wake-up call.

I light one of the cigars I stole from his workstation. The end sparks to life, embers flaring as it starts to burn. The smoke burns my nostrils, and I scowl at the damn thing. Of course this bastard would like this rank shit.

It’s noxious and disgusting, just like him.

Standing over him, I take the tip of the cigar and press the burning end to his skin. A thrill races through my veins at how his flesh singes in a near-perfect circle. Dane’s eyes pop open with a pained yelp, his gaze looking around frantically at his surroundings. When his eyes land on me, they bulge in fear.

So fucking satisfying.

“Gage, what—” he struggles against his restraints, looking down at his naked body. I can see when panic sets in. “No, no, no, no.”

“You knew this was coming,” I say calmly, sucking on the gross cigar to keep the spark alive. I blow the smoke out into his face, making him cough. “You’ve known me long enough to know what you were asking for. Hell, you were practically begging for it. So, here we are.”

“Is this about Jill?” Her name on his unworthy lips makes my temper rage.

“Say her name again, and I’ll cut your fucking tongue out.” The cigar presses into the eye of his gypsy woman tattoo, making him howl. I press it down a little too hard and leave it on a little too long. When I lift it, the melted flesh is charred, with blood springing to the surface.

Oops.

“I didn’t touch her, man. I barely even looked at her. I swear.”

“You never could tell a decent lie. Apparently, not even to save your own life.”

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