Page 12 of Gabe

Luckily, I’d brought a few first aid supplies, just in case.

I helped Blake lie on the floor, then started wrapping bandages and tape around the wound while keeping the knife in place.

“You just stabbed me. Why’re you helping me?”

“I didn’t stab you. I threw the knife at you.”

He snorted in frustration, and I was happy to hear his lungs were clear. That meant the internal damage wasn’t too bad.

“Whatever. Same thing. Why’re you helping me?”

Once certain he wasn’t about to bleed out on the floor, I pulled out my own gun and pressed the barrel against his temple.

“Because we aren’t done. How long have you been working for the Mariano family? Did they get to you at some point, or have you been rotten from the start.”

“Fuck off,” he spat.

I pressed the gun in a little harder, enough to feel the flesh and bone of his temple grind against the metal. “Answer me and I’ll let you crawl back to your masters. Keep quiet and I’ll ship you back to them in multiple boxes.”

He glared at me in silence.

Breathing deeply through my nose, I swung my gun to the side and pulled the trigger, shooting him in the knee.

A tangled knot of curses fell from Blake’s lips as he tried to grab his knee, but the knife in his gut kept him from curling up.

“Stop moving around.” I shoved him onto his back, then started bandaging this new wound.

The knee was completely demolished, and I felt a bit of satisfaction when I realized it was the right knee. The same leg that Sebastian currently had hanging in traction.

Now Sebastian wasn’t the only one who may never walk again.

“You fucking psycho,” Blake shouted, but there was a new fear in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“It doesn’t really matter how long you’ve been working for them,” I said, as if he hadn’t just insulted me. “Betrayal is still betrayal. What I really want to know is the identity of the person leading the pedophile ring Sebastian was investigating.”

Blake’s expression changed from one of fear and anger to one of confusion.

I shrugged, treating his confusion the same way one would treat a college student that couldn’t recite their ABCs.

“What? I know Lorenz Mariano is bankrolling this secret ring, and the Mariano family is assisting in the hunt for Sebastian because of their own history with the brothers, but they aren’t the ones in charge of the ring. Someone else is. That’s the person I want.”

I’d made a mistake. Asking such an unexpected question had shocked Blake, which distracted him from his fear. My desire to return to the safe house as soon as possible had caused me to rush things, and now I could already see the defiance building in Blake’s eyes again.

Acting quickly, I pulled the knife out of his gut. My first aid attempts were ruined, and a fresh wave of blood gushed from the wound.

“You—”

He shut up real quick when I pointed the tip of the knife at his already destroyed knee, but I didn’t want silence. I wanted him talking.

He still wasn’t afraid enough yet.

I let the point of the knife drag up his leg, keeping my gaze locked on his eyes to catch even the slightest change in expression.

The knife pointed at his groin.

There. Now he was afraid.

I pressed the knife down a little more, just enough for the tip to poke through the material of his pants and prick at his skin.

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