Page 118 of Rage

The men look at each other, then at me.

“We’re not the ones who matter anyway. Do you know who she is?”

“No. Some whore. Why the fuck would I—aargh!”

Tino’s suddenly there, one meaty hand gripping the roots of his hair, that Bowie knife held right to the bared expanse of his neck.

“Show some fucking respect to the lady,stronzo?*.”

I watch the rivulet of blood appear, trickling down over his Adam’s apple; just the tiniest nick making him judder with fear. There’s a tremble in his lip, belaying all that is going through his mind right now.

“Besides, I think Ms. Lara here would disagree. Wouldn’t you, Ma’am?”

With that deference, Tino has firmly cemented himself in my good books. “I would indeed.”

“I-I’ve never even fucking seen her before! What are you talking about?”

I take a step closer. “Think again, asshole. Art gallery, opening night?”

He barks a laugh, derision striking a snarl across his features. “Fuck. I should… I knew that bitch would squeal. Fucking stupid lesbian whore, thinking she could?—”

He stops talking and starts gasping for breath then.

Mainly because I punch him in the fucking throat. I haven’t trained for years in Aikido tonotknow how to throw a damn punch when I need to. I spit at him for good measure, right in his repugnant face, dredging up every ounce of hatred I feel into the gesture.

He lunges at me, not seeming to care about the knife held to him. It nicks his throat again, causing a further surge of blood. I realize he’s probably coasting on adrenaline right now, the pain almost insignificant in the wake of his total fear.

That’s about to change.

As I recoil from the unexpected movement, something slips into my hand, the wood grain almost warm against my clammy palm. Looking down at the knife I was handed, I watch the dull gleam of the overhead lights reflect off the edge of the curved blade. I’m hungry for it, hungry to spill more of that vile red poison from him, hungry to watch the fear arrive and fade in his eyes.

I’m hungry for violent revenge.

I’m acutely aware that every pair of eyes are on me as I bring it up closer to my lover’s abuser. I weigh him up, thisman—though he doesn’t even deserve that title—wondering where I should start. I move my arm up, tracing the line of his hair behind his ear.

Lockey clearly gauges my hesitation, in that innate way of his. “You gonna go Reservoir Dogs on his ass?”

I purse my lips, twisting my head to look at him. “An ear would be too kind, don’t you think?”

A brow raises, a sadistic smile on his face as his eyes flick downward to the creep’s flaccid worm. “I do. You should give him what he deserves.”

I nod, intending to do just that, but then I realize—I’m going to have totouchit to cut it off. And there’s no fucking way I’m doing that. I look back at my accomplice, indicating with the knife. “Do you think you could?—”

Lock’s eyes roll, but he gets what I mean, kneeling down before the captor and picking it up at the crown. “Just don’t get my fucking fingers with it, yeah?”

“I’ll be careful.”

And I am. I am very careful as I draw the sharp edge across the root, listening to the piercing screams that are let loose as I slice through his genitals. It’s a sound that should incite dread, spread terror into the hearts of softer humans. But I have no qualms, because it gives me a disturbing kind of warmth to know that I’m taking back every fucking scream, every tear and every blubbering, begging sound that she made to him.

I’m going to ignore them all, just as this fuckingpigignored hers.

His fucking screams foreveryone of Kathy’s.

His flood of tears for all the ones she shed—and the ones she will continue to.

I’m going to savor every syllable, every single fucking noise, for all the pain she had to endure because of this… this fucking trash that doesn’t deserve a title.

I’m so engrossed in violent rage that I don’t hear the door unlocking. Not until it swings partially open to reveal an inquisitive face; a younger woman, long brown hair framing expressive eyes. Eyes which are unsurprisingly fixed on me; the female stranger in this vividly gory party.

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