Page 22 of Sick Bargain

Yes and no. I’m terrified of him, and now that I think I know who he is, it doesn’t make me feel any better because I feared him long before I knew he belonged to Vile House. But if I have to put my life in someone’s hands and trust that they’ll complete my tasks, it’s him. Although…

“I’m doubting your ability to follow through now that I know who you are.”

“I agreed to it, didn’t I?” he asks, voice calm but jittery again. Like the words want to come out too fast.

I try looking at his eyes, and I quickly look away when I see all his monsters rattle their cages. “You’ll end all three names on my list?”

“You said gone. Since it’shimyou’re asking about. I’ll make him gone until you say otherwise.” He reaches out to flip my arm over. The restraints burn at my skin, but there’s enough leeway to flip my wrist. A vertical scar stands out in the purple light, and his thumb brushes it. “Tell me why you made the deal, Remiel.”

“It’s none of your fucking business.”

“Mmm,” he agrees. “But as soon as I mark you as mine, everything about you will be my business, so you might as well tell me.” He presses on my scar, making it hurt. “Reeven Matterson,” he states the first name.

No point in hiding since I’m already laid bare before him. “He’s the man who leads the Matter Cult, and he’s been terrorizing my mom’s side of the family ever since she got us free of the cult. I want him gone to protect my family.”

“Gregory Malone.” The next name comes from his tongue with no acknowledgement of my reasoning.

“Has done everything within his power to turn me and my brother mad. He’s the reason my youngest brother killed himself, and he’s trying to speed up the timeline for me and Soren. I can’t let that happen.” And he was the man stalking me the night I ran to Vile House to strike this deal. He chased me here, so it’s only fair that I sic my new hound on him.

“Soren Sauder,” he says my brother’s name while his thumb continues to press on my scar. “Dead by a hand other than his own? To end the curse?” he guesses.

That’s what I wanted him to think, but I didn’t say dead. I said gone. I have a very strong feeling that I’m going to be next. I’m going to get pushed to my breaking point and end my life, and when that happens, I want Soren somewhere he can’t end his own. I wanthimto break the curse by being so well-contained and protected that he’ll never have the chance to kill himself. I want him gone, owned by someone else, so thoroughly controlled that he won’t be able to lift a blade or swallow a pill without someone breathing down his neck and stopping him. I might hate my brother, but I love him, too. I want him to live through this, even after I’m gone, to see the curse lifted from our family.

“Answer me,” Krypt demands.

“I want him owned,” I say. “Protected until I’m dead, even if he hates it. Because… because I want you to kill me so the curse breaks and Soren lives through it. When I’m gone, dead because of you instead of suicide, he’ll have a chance to live the rest of his life without the curse hanging over his head. He needs to be contained and watched until I’m dead.” I meet his eyes and all the monsters within them. “I want you to kill me to save my brother.”

Krypt’s hand tightens on my wrist, his fingertips pressing into my scar. My hand goes numb and a cry breaks through my pursed lips. “That’s not the bargain you struck. You only said gone. I’ll make him gone.”

“And kill me when he’s safe,” I add.

“No.”

“No?”

“No. You belong to me now, and I’m not letting a pointless death have you.”

I grit my teeth together and curse myself for not being more clear when I made my deal with this devil. “I have ways to make you change your mind. I don’t think it’ll be hard to entice you into killing me.” My smile is fake, but it feels sick and twisted… and good. “There’s no point in keeping the mask on. I already know who you are. Which is how I know you won’t kill Soren.”

“Careful, Remiel,” he says, fingertips trailing up my arm and stopping at the marker sketched onto my collarbone. “If youknow who I am, you also know that I’ve killed those I love before. My love is dangerous. My attention is worse.”

“Take the mask off.”

He tilts his head. “Blood first.”

The tattoo gun in his hand buzzes, and he doesn’t give me any time at all to brace for it. The needles prick into my clavicle, and I hiss out a pained breath.

“Once you know my identity and the identity of others in Vile House, you are banned from sharing it with anyone. Usually, it’s punishable by death, but since you want death, I’ll add my own stipulation.” He dips the gun and brings it back to my skin. “I’ll force you to kill yourself, and then I’ll make sure Soren is next. I knowexactlyhow to drive him mad. The Sauder curse will live on. All your young little cousins will be next.”

My eyes drip tears of pain and defeat. “Fine. I’ll keep your Vile secrets.”

The tattoo gun keeps moving, burning. “You will stay with me from now on. Here or at my house, wherever the fuck I want you. You’re mine, and I get full control of your life.”

“That why you burned my house down like a psycho?”

“Agree.”

“Fine. But you can’t assault me anymore.”

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