Page 17 of Revenge

“What do you want?” His voice cracks at the end of his question.

My eyes never leave his as I light up a cigarette. Benny flinches at the sound of my lighter clicking shut. That slight movement gives me the upper hand and only makes what I’m about to do that much sweeter.

I take a long, slow drag, letting my silence work him over. It’s in those quiet moments when you can really mess with a person’s head. Fear is the ultimate mind fuck. Leave them wondering, anticipating every possible outcome. Then, when they’ve tortured themselves to the brink of insanity, the fun really begins.

I exhale a cloud of smoke toward his face and let the silence linger a beat longer before I walk over and drop a photo on Benny’s chest. “Names. I want all of them.”

Axel watches from off to the side, keeping the bat cocked over his right shoulder. His fingers twitch against the handle as he paces back and forth. He’s wound up tight and ready to go, but he waits for my lead.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Everything’s legit here, man. I’m just a mechanic.” He grins, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. Piece of shit’s holding out on me.

“You’re a lousy liar, Benny. Maybe you need some motivation to jog your memory?” I give a silent nod to Axel.

“Batter up.” He grins as he takes the bat in his hands and swings out in front of him like he’s Babe Ruth. The first hit shatters the radio, blanketing us in silence, before he moves over toward the Corvette. Glass shatters and rains down on Benny in small shards. He does his best to protect his face, but he still manages to get some small scrapes along his arms.

Axel has a shit-eating grin on his face as he slings the bat over his shoulder once again. “I don’t know about y’all, but I think that was a home run.”

“Next swing my brother takes is aimed at your head.” There’s no mistaking the threat in my words.

“You’re crazy.” A muscle jumps on Benny’s cheek.

“As a motherfucker.” My eyes narrow as they lock on his.

“What the hell?” Benny squirms, but he’s not going anywhere. “You can’t do this.”

“We can.” Axel nudges him in the side with the tip of the bat.

“We are.” Zane stares Benny down.

“I’m the judge, jury, and executioner. Now, tell me what I want to know. Or I’ll let my brother use that bat on that shit hole you call a face.”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know.” He’s holding out longer than I thought he would. I’ll give him that, but time’s up. No more screwing around.

“You’re full of shit. I know you’re working for Diego.” I flick the ash of my cigarette onto his chest and squat down until I’m inches from his face.

Benny flinches at the mention of Diego. It’s slight, but there’s no mistaking what I saw.

Zane moves so fast I almost miss it. One second he’s next to me, and the next he has the sole of his boot pressed down on Benny’s throat. Benny gasps as his oxygen supply is cut off. His hands slap against the tip of Zane’s foot, struggling to breathe, causing the photo to fall off his chest and onto the shop floor.

I cock my head to the side and watch as the life starts to fade from his eyes. For a split second, I contemplate letting my brother finish him off, but that would leave us back at square one.

“Is he supposed to turn that shade of purple?” Axel asks, without a hint of concern. He might as well be asking about the weather.

Just when it looks like Benny’s about to pass out, I tap my brother on the shoulder. “Ease up a bit, Z. He can’t tell us anything if he’s dead.”

Zane relieves some of his pressure but doesn’t take his foot away from Benny’s neck. He’s thirsting to feel bones break underneath his boot and as much as I agree with him on that, we need Benny alive a bit longer.

Benny coughs and sucks in gulps of air like a starving animal, but I don’t give him a chance to recover. Time is everything and I don’t have any to waste.

I grab the photo off the dirty floor and dust it off before I shove it back in his face. “I need names, Benny. Now!”

“I can’t. They’ll kill me, man.” He whines like the pussy he is, but he’ll get no sympathy from me. I lost that emotion the night I lost Lauren.

“What the fuck you think we’re gonna do to you?” My patience is wearing thin. I’m tired of playing around with him. It’s time for more drastic measures. I motion toward Axel.

“On it,” he calls from behind my back. He grabs one of the cans of gasoline and hands Zane the other one. Axel starts dousing the entire shop in it, while Zane pours his on Benny.

Benny shakes his head from side to side and spits out the liquid that made its way into his mouth. “Wait! I’ll talk. I’ll talk, man.”

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