Page 68 of Dark Love

“I won’t.” Payne thumps me on my back. “I can take care of the problem for you.”

That might be the reasonable choice—My fists clench—but it’s not the way to deal with my pit of rage. “I’ll let you know.” And even though I don’t want to, I will. Because once you find pleasure in killing, it changes you.

That pleasure has turned many a man into a thing of nightmares.

We head through a secret door in a back room into a section of the building that’s soundproofed, which is important when we need to acquire information. That shouldn’t be an issue today.

Though I can understand why men of old would put their enemy’s head on a stick as a warning to all.

This guy’s head would look really good hanging outside my club.

And that’s why I’m going to let Payne take care of him.

Payne flips the switch off on the music he left on the entire time. Wouldn’t want the guy to think we’re unfeeling? The lights didn’t go off either, in case he was afraid of the dark…

“See, all safe and sound. If you ignore a few of those bruises.” Payne smiles as the guy stands up from where he was curled up on the floor.

“Who notices a few bruises when they’re about to die?” The man in front of me no longer has the crisp, trustable demeanor that might have helped him get away with bringing his victims home. Maybe I’ll just give him a few more before I leave him to Payne.

“You aren’t going to kill me,” the man manages to stand tall as he says those words.

“Why would you think that? We don’t take people here to make friends with them.” Why am I even talking to the soon-to-be dead man in front of me?

“Because I can give you something you want.”

There’s nothing that filth has that I want. “You didn’t say this man was stupid.”

“Didn’t think he was. Other than choosing your club, which in itself was the stupidest decision he’ll ever make.” Payne doesn’t take his eyes from his target.

“I’m not stupid. I’ve been doing this for decades without getting caught. How did you guess?”

“Is this guy bragging about hurting women?” I turn to Payne to avoid looking at the filth in front of me.

“It seems he’s stupider than I thought. Maybe we should hurt him before we kill him, just so he knows what it feels like.”

Torture would be too kind for him.

“You aren’t going to touch me.”

Stupid and overconfident.

“I didn’t pick your club by accident. Everyone has heard of the great Vex—”

His mocking tone grates on my nerves.

“—The Serial Killer Exterminator. This was my ultimate challenge.”

The grin would disappear if I put my fist through his face. “You must have a death wish.”

“No one is going to die today. Unless the rumors aren’t true. They say once you make a promise, you keep it. Were they wrong?”

“They weren’t.” What is his angle?

“I’ve killed hundreds of women. Their deaths were glorious. I wish we had the time to go over all the details. But if you want the last two to survive, you’ll need to leave soon. My beauties haven’t had anything to drink in days. It has been days, right? Time gets lost in here as you can understand.”

His beauties? Survive? “You have more victims?”

“Two of the sweetest women you’ve ever seen. They’re waiting for me in their little holes. You can’t believe the smiles on their faces when they see me.”

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