Page 91 of Irreversible

“Enough!” His voice echoes loud enough to make me flinch. “I highly suggest you keep that mouth shut before I slice you open from chin to cunt.”

My blood runs colder than the water at my feet as he plucks a pocketknife from his front pocket and gives it a flick. The blade gleams under the fluorescent lights.

I stop squirming, my throat burning as I swallow down acid.

“That’s better.” His tone dips lower, more composed, the veins in his neck shrinking. “You think you’re intelligent, don’t you? Beautyandbrains.”

I grit my teeth. “You’re a psychopath.”

“Yes, well, there’s a name for everything these days.” An easy smile tilts his lips as he grazes his thumb and finger along his chin. “Would you believe there’s something called a thimblerigger? One who shuttles a pea among three thimbles, then bets on which one the pea was under.” He chuckles with feigned amusement. “Truly asinine.”

“You won’t get away with this.”

“That hardly matters if you don’t manage to get away yourself. And you won’t.” Two mismatched eyes glint with menace. “I own you, Everly—just like I own your new friend, who’s being captured as we speak.” He flicks the pocketknife again. Once, twice. “My, my…how I cannot wait to hear the sounds he makes when I gut him, like a fisherman filleting his catch.”

My eyes burn with razor-like tears.

Isaac…

I whip my head back and forth. “He’s going to kill you.Painfully,” I say, hissing the words through my teeth. “I promise you that.”

The Timekeeper blinks at me and returns the knife to his pocket. Hesitating for effect, he then pulls out a familiar thin wire.

Crooked and used.

My breathing shallows.

“You think I don’t know what you did?” Taking a step forward, he turns his attention to Roger and holds up the wire, dangling it back and forth. “What youbothdid.”

Eyes panning between the two men, I claw at Dolph’s meaty forearm, leaving angry nail marks behind. His hold only tightens. I can’t break free.

“I’m a man of many gifts, but leniency is not one of them.” He sighs, halting a foot away from Roger. “I have little tolerance for incompetent staff.”

Roger stiffens, having been silently watching the scene unfold. “I didn’t?—”

Shiny metal is pulled from The Timekeeper’s waistband.

A shot rings out.

I don’t have time to process anything before Roger’s head explodes.

Blood erupts like a geyser, brains flying every which way.

It’s a blur, a smog of horror.

I scream.

The sound is a faraway howl, diminished by the ringing in my ears. Gunpowder chokes me. Brain matter lands on my skin and dress. I sag to the floor, held up by my hair as Roger’s body twitches and drops to the blood-smeared tile.

Dolph doesn’t even blink.

His red-smattered face remains expressionless as he stares at the mutilated body at our feet.

I’m numb.

Sound drowns out.

Wailing, alarms, sobs—all a pitchy hum of terror. Background noise.

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