Page 47 of Hot Chocolate & Hitmen

My cries devolve into hoarse, broken sobs, my body trembling uncontrollably under Atlas’ foot once more. The garland around me jingles faintly with every shudder, acting as an obnoxious reminder of how ridiculous I look–like some kind of sick Christmas joke.

“This is the fun part,” Teddy says smoothly, crouching down next to me and parades a cookie cutter attached to a metal poker in front of my face. The festive, metallic gingerbread man glowing faintly from the heat of the fire. The sight alone makes bile rise in my throat.

“No,” I croak, barely able to form the word. “Please, no…no more…”

“Aw, come on, Jason,” Key chimes in, his grin as wide as ever. “We’ve been gentle so far. This is the grand finale.”

“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer, tears streaming down my face and pooling beneath me. My voice cracks, the words barely audible through the thick congestion from my sniveling. “Please!”

Atlas shifts, pressing his foot harder into my back. “It’s too late for all that.”

Teddy leans closer, his expression chillingly calm as he spins the cookie cutter brand contraption in his hand. “You see, Jason, this isn’t just about what you did. It’s about ensuring you never forget. Consider this…a permanent Christmas memory.”

Key laughs, his head tilting back with glee. “Oh, it’s definitely gonna be memorable. Every time he sits down, every time he looks in the mirror, everytime he somehow convinces a woman to open her legs…”

The red-hot cookie cutter hovers above my lower back, and I can feel the intense heat radiating from it, even before it touches my skin. My breath comes in tiny panicked gasps, my body unnaturally still as I try to avoid the metal touching my skin, but there’s no escape.

“Three little gingerbread men,” Teddy says, his voice almost cheerful now. “One for each of us. To remember us by.”

The first press of the metal onto my skin sends an explosion of pain through me so intense, I see white. The hiss of burning flesh fills the air, followed by my piercing scream. It’s guttural, raw, and primal, my body twisting uselessly under the weight of my tormentors.

“Hold still, or this one’s gonna come out crooked,” Teddy says, his tone clipped but amused. The brand lifts away, leaving a sizzling burn that radiates agony across my entire lower back and up my spine.

I’m sobbing uncontrollably now, my face pressed into the floor as my nose leaks freely. “Please–no more, no more–please…”

Key crouches beside me, tapping my cheek with his finger as if to stop me from blacking out. “We’re just getting started, buddy. Two more to go. Gotta make the full set.”

Rockin’ around the Christmas treestarts playing in the background as Atlas shifts and the brand comes down a second time, this time on the opposite side. The pain is somehow worse than the first, the fresh burn merging with the previous one to create a continuous wave of searing agony.

I scream again, my voice breaking into hoarse, breathless cries as I try to at least distract myself with the music. But it’s no use. Nothing can take away the torture of being branded like cattle.

My vision blurs from the endless tears, and I barely notice Key as he admires Atlas’ handiwork.

“Looks great,” he says, his tone full of admiration. “I think the left side came out even better though.”

“Shut up, asshole,” Atlas grumbles at his more joyful counterpart.

“Third one’s yours, Key,” Teddy says, taking the cookie cutter brand from Atlas and passing it to him, interrupting their bickering.

“Aw, you shouldn’t have.” Key’s grin grows even wider as he reheats the brand in the fire, right in front of my face. The metal glows bright once more, and he twirls it in his hand, giving me a wink. Key gives Atlas a silent order and I whimper. Grabbing me by the hair once more, Atlas raises my head and turns it so I can see all three of them.

“Stop…” My weak plea comes out on a croaky whisper.

“Relax, Jason,” Key says as he positions the final brand just above the previous two. “Think of this as a bonding moment.”

The third brand presses down, right in the center of my lower back and the pain is unimaginable. Sending shockwaves through my entire body, my scream cuts off into a choking sob as my body finally goes limp, the fight completely drained from me. The smell of burnt flesh fills my nostrils, and my stomach churns violently.

“Perfect,” Key says, lifting the brand away and setting it aside. “It’s like a festive tramp stamp!”

Atlas finally steps back, releasing my head which falls to the floor with a thump. My cheek sticks to the cold wood as darkness teases at my consciousness and my body trembles with aftershocks of pain, every nerve alight with agony.

Teddy crouches down beside me, grabbing my chin roughly and tilting my head up to him. “Listen closely, Jason,” he says, his voice low and even. “You’re gonna leave Grace alone from now on. If we even hear a whisper of you approaching her, this will look like a vacation compared to what we’ll do next.”

I can’t muster a response as my sobs choke me, the tears and snot a neverending reminder of the pain and humiliation I just endured.

Letting my head drop with a thud, Teddy stands and dusts off his hands. Atlas must follow some sort of cue as he hauls me back to my chair in the corner, making quick work of retying and redecorating me.

“And if you speak a word of what happened tonight to Grace, or anyone else, well…just try me.” Atlas’ words are like a whip as he sneers in my face before stepping aside and letting Key shift into view.

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