Page 114 of Mace

I grip his wrist as Nicky spreads his fingers wide. Bernie thrashes and tries to pull his hand free, but my hold is firm.

I take the knife from Nicky and press it to Bernie’s index finger. He freezes, his breaths ragged as a drop of blood rolls down the digit. “Please… don’t.”

“Did Maylie beg you not to blackmail her into fucking your disgusting cock?” My teeth mash together. “Did you hope the threat of eviction would drive her into your bed?”

I cut, anger driving me as I force the knife through the bone. Bernie screams like a dying pig as blood pools on his fancy fucking desk. When that finger is detached, I move to next.

Eventually, he stops screaming and sags into me until I finish removing all his fingers. When I’m done, I step back, wiping the bloody blade on his suit.

“You feel better?” Nicky asks.

“Fuckin’ delighted,” I mutter. Bernie sobs quietly, clutching his bloodied stumps to his chest.Fuckin’ prick.“We can go now.”

It takes me a week to find something suitable for the little family I’ve acquired.

I know Maylie will love it, but I’m fuckin’ nervous as I open the door to the apartment.

Shoving inside, I pocket the keys and wipe my palms on my jeans as Maylie steps in behind me.

She moves into the large living space, turning in a circle as she takes in everything. Her boots click against the wood floor as she wanders over to the window that fills most of the wall in front of us, giving a view of the city. The high-rise tower block I lived in with my mother was pulled down five years ago, but other similar structures are dotted on the horizon, peeking out between the other buildings. We’re only three floors up, but the sprawling city is laid out before us.

There’s something about her excitement that makes a smile spread across my face. “You like it?”

Her eyes snap to mine. “Is that a joke? Of course, I like it. This living room is the same size as the entire floor plan of our current flat.”

She steps back from the window, and suddenly, she won’t meet my gaze. My long strides eat up the floor injust a matter of seconds, my hand instantly wrapping around the side of her neck in a gesture that has become automatic to me. “What’s wrong?”

She winces, as if her thoughts pain her. “I’m just… a little worried.”

This makes me frown. Everything I’ve done is to ensure she has no fears or concerns. “Why?”

My thumb rubs over the line of her jaw, enjoying the feel of her silky skin beneath the pad.

“Is this… all a bit soon? What if we move in together and you decide I’m an utterly disgusting slob and you hate everything about me? I leave clothes on the floor all the time, and I’m shit at remembering to wash dishes. I like lazy mornings and busy evenings.”

“Babe, we’ve been living together for weeks.”

“It’s not the same. You can leave. If we do this, there’s no escape for you. You never really know someone until you live with them.”

“I know enough.”

“But—”

I silence her with a kiss, pressing my lips to hers and dipping my head so I can deepen our connection. Heat licks along my skin, the back of my neck warm as she melts into my touch.

As always, when I kiss her, the noise in my head quiets to nothing but her. She is the only thing in my sphere, the only thing I need to concern myself with. “All I care about is when I get into bed every night, you’re lying next to me.”

Her lips kick up at the corners. “You can’t say things like that to me. It makes me lose all my fight.”

I drop my hands to her hips, pulling her close againstmy body. “So, don’t fight it. Sometimes, things just work out the way they’re meant to.”

Her hands wrap around my back, holding me close.

“And you’re sure we can have this for the same price as what I was paying for my other place?”

I grab her chin, directing her head up so I can capture her mouth. I can’t stop from claiming every part of her whenever I’m near her. It’s like I have a sickness and she is the cure. “Babe, I don’t want you to worry about any of that shit.”

“I don’t want to not pay my way. That’s not who I am.”

---