Page 36 of The Phantom's Vice

“I think she’s figured it out, Tate,” Xander coos. His steps ring out seemingly from all around me, and I jerk this way and that, trying to find the source.

“Over here, babe.”

I fire a shot, and the bullet hits one of the concrete pilings, sending pieces of rubble flying through the air.

“Ooh. Almost got me.”

I fire another shot, and it sounds like it hits something this time.Or someone.

“Dammit. She fucking shot my pinky!” A higher-pitched voice—Tate’s—screams out, eliciting a nasty chuckle from the one called Xander.

“Nice shot! Been wanting to do that myself for a while.” He laughs at his partner's pained curses, just before the pair go deadly silent again. “You’re still going to pay for that, babe. It’s personal now.”

There is a flurry of steps, and the gun is knocked from my hand. I curse, lunging to where itskidded across the ground, but a pair of strong arms grabs me around my middle, holding me back.

“Let me go, you fuck!” I scream, sending the heel of my foot back into my captor’s knee. However, I can't get good momentum with the angle he’s holding me at, so all it does is knock him slightly off balance.

“Damn, she’s got some fight in her,” Tate chuckles, holding me to his chest with one arm while his other slips beneath my shirt. “Can’t we have some fun with her before we finish the job?”

Xander scoffs. “Do whatever you want, man, just finish her when you’re done. I’ll be over here.”

Xander’s footsteps recede into the distance, and I fight desperately against Tate’s hold.No. This cannot be happening. I am not about to be fucking raped and murdered. I’mnot.

Even with all my struggling, Tate doesn’t seem to break a sweat as he pulls me to the ground. He straddles my waist, holding my arms above my head with one hand while he undoes the button of my pants.

“Get the fuck off me!”I snarl, kicking and thrashing with all my might. Tate just chuckles, leaning down to my neck where he licks me fromcollarbone to jaw. My skin shudders with repulsion, and I try to buck him off one last time.

Tate’s lips come close to my ear, and bile rises in my throat as his hot breath fans the shell of my ear. “You’re mine now, little one. I’m going to enjoy this sweet little pussy before I slit your throat. How’s that sound?”

I snap my eyes shut, making one last ditch effort to nail him in the balls. That’s when something warm spatters across my face. When I open my eyes, Tate is trying to breathe through the deep red gash above his Adam’s apple. A disgusting gurgling noise accompanies each labored breath as I scramble back on my hands, unable to take my eyes off the sight in front of me.

“There are faster ways to kill someone, but I wanted him to suffer for you.”

My heart tries to beat out of its cage as I look around the shadows, desperate to find where that voice is coming from. It’s deeper than Xander’s, and there’s no way Tate could speak with his throat cut.So then…

“Ghost,” I whisper, staring hard at the shadows. “Why… why…”

“I told you that I mean you no harm, Brett. It’s up to you to decide whether I’m telling the truth.”That chilling voice thunders off the walls, and goose bumps rise along my uncovered arms. “Although, considering the circumstances, you would be a bit of an idiot to think otherwise.”

Fucking. Asshole.“I’m sorry, it’s just a little hard to believe a literalserial killermeans no harm.”

A disturbing chuckle crackles through that mask of his. “Still looking at things in black and white, I see. The bureau really did you a disservice, darling.”

“Stop fucking calling me that!” I snap, inching closer to my service weapon. It occurs to me I haven’t heard from Xander in a moment, and I need to be armed in case either of these assholes decides to make a move.

“If you’re worried about the Disposer, he’s been dealt with,” Ghost murmurs, taking the words from my mouth. “It’s just you and me.Darling.”

I grit my teeth, my hand closing around the handle of the gun.Disposer? Is that Xander’s title or something?“Not for long, asshole.”

“What’s that?”

“I said…” I take a deep breath, then aim the tip of the barrel at those shadows where I’m positive the voice is coming from. “Not for fucking long.”

I fire once. Twice. I listen for the sound of them hitting flesh, but to my dismay, I’mmet with the telltale clang of them hitting the concrete pillars like earlier.

“You’re angry with me.”

“You’re damn right I’m angry!” I snap, firing off two more shots to the left and the right.Where the fuckishe?

---