Page 28 of What Doesn't Kill Us

“No, he’s entirely expendable. I was pleased they sent the fucking yahoo to grab you, though, for a second there, I was concerned.”

“You go out there and tell that dumb fuck to back off. I’ll go willingly.”

She nods, reaching over and manually unlocking her door, quickly stepping outside. As soon as her door closes behind her, I relock it.

Carolina walks around the back of the car, and I adjust the mirror so I see what they’re doing. She says a few words to him, and he gets in her face, shouting. She doesn’t flinch or cower. She stands there with this blank look on her face, and it’s almost as if she wants to roll her eyes and is barely refraining from doing so.

Carolina says a few words in response to whatever he’s shouting at her, and his face reddens. He reaches a hand out and grabs her by the hair, his other hand coming up to slap her hard across the face.

What the actual fuck?

I unlock the door and exit the vehicle. It only takes me a few strides to come up behind him and grab him by the scruff of the neck, roughly squeezing. He releases her instantly, his knees buckling as I dig my fingers into the pressure point on his shoulder. My free hand comes up to the front of his throat, so I’m holding him up by the neck, and I lean my head in close to him. “Now, that will be enough of that.”

Carolina straightens, her hand coming up to her cheek and running along the corner of her lip where it’s bleeding. I growl deep in my chest, the beast rattling to be freed, and I squeeze his throat harder as his hands come up and claw at me. “We don’t hit women. We don’t abuse those weaker than us.”

My eyes meet Carolina’s as I ask, “How expendable is this fucking asshole?”

She shrugs. “Entirely. He knocked around Agatha, too, muttering something about her being a fucking crazy bitch or something. Totally uncalled for, given the fact she was already incapacitated.”

The growl deepens in my chest; the rattling reverberating throughout my whole body as she gives me a pointed look, so I squeeze harder. I dig my fingers deeper into his pressure point until he’s entirely incapable of standing on his own feet, and then I fucking squeeze.

I bend over, looking him right in the face, wanting him to look me in the eye as I squeeze even harder. He gurgles, his clawing hands becoming weaker as I lean even closer. I want to make sure that I’m the last fucking thing he sees as his life drains from his body.

I bare my teeth, my voice like gravel as I whisper, “Die.”

After a few moments, his hands drop, his eyes no longer fixed on me, and I inhale the last bit of life that whispers from his body. My heart pounds in my chest, the rattling vibration overwhelming my senses with the comforting feeling of unhinged euphoria.

I continue holding him up by his neck, looking over at Carolina. “Open the trunk.”

Carolina rushes around, popping the trunk and opening it for me. I not so gently toss him in, then slam the trunk closed. I lean over, resting my forearms on the back of the car as I peer at Carolina, giving myself a few moments to allow the haze to clear from my senses.

After a bit, I straighten, motioning for her to get in the driver’s seat as I make my way around to the passenger door. “I assume you know where you’re going.”

She says nothing as she gets behind the wheel and closes the door quietly behind her. I fall into the passenger seat; the door slamming behind me, then I stare at her expectantly. She starts the car, and her throat moves as she swallows. “I suppose you have a lot of questions?”

“Not really.”

Carolina glances at me warily, her hands tightening on the steering wheel as she backs the car out of the space. She maneuvers us toward the garage exit, stopping when we reach the street. She looks over at me. “What now, then?”

“You need to take me to whoever has Agatha.”

She nods, then puts the car into park, popping the trunk as she exits and walks toward the back. She disappears, then the car moves where she’s rummaging around the dead guy. She closes the trunk with a thud, and she’s back in the car, handing a phone to me. “Text Vincent.”

I open the text app, quickly typing out a message to Vincent letting him know the mission was complete and we’re awaiting further instructions. Only a few moments go by before a reply comes in, and I read off the address to Carolina, who pulls out onto the street without a word.

I watch her silently. Her hands are flexing on the steering wheel. The tension rolling off her is palpable as she clenches and unclenches her jaw. Finally, I ask, “Can I ask you one question?”

She glances at me, raising her brows. “You can ask me any fucking thing you want to, Darius. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”

“I only need to know one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Who did they take?”

She flinches, a pained expression crossing her features as she replies, “My daughter.”

I nod, turning to look out the side window. I always figured Carolina was straddling some kind of line between sides. While I felt she was genuine in most of our interactions, you can always tell when someone’s holding back. I tend not to pry because everyone has their secrets. Even now, knowing her intentions conflict with my own, I still don’t.

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