Page 12 of Karma
“You want me to take the car to my father’s junkyard and piece it out?” Cinder asks. “Or do you want me to crush it?”
Her eyes are nearly swollen shut from the beating Heidi’s delivered, and she’s beyond pale. Well, aside from the giant purple bruises.
“What would you suggest?”
“Piecing it out could come back to you. Honestly, I’d think it would be best to crush the car as small as possible and put it in a larger vehicle to crush.”
“We trust she won’t go to the cops?” Venom asks. “Or take the car to the cops?”
Tilting her head, Lex looks at Cinder and hops off the table. “That’s a good point,” she says and places the knife on Cinder’s palm, closing her fingers around the handle, before removing it.
“I swear,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll never bother you guys again, and I don’t talk to the cops. They can go fuck themselves.”
“And we trust that?” Venom asks.
Lex sets the knife on the workbench and smiles. “I do. But in case you’re thinking of double-crossing us, Cinder, just know that your prints are the only ones on the weapon that will kill Raena.”
“I won’t double-cross you. Honestly, Lex, you’re the one who keeps feeding me and giving me water. You’ve shown a kindness no one else has. Kindness I probably don’t deserve.”
“Oh, you don’t,” she says and moves to the wall. Pressing a button, Cinder slowly lowers to the ground.
Venom unshackles her and looks directly into her eyes. “Go near Marnie ever again, and I promise you that no one will ever find your body.”
“Trust me, I plan to stay as far away as fucking possible from you assholes,” she says. “Where’s the car?”
“I’ll ride with you,” Heidi says with a smirk as she holds a gun in her hand. “A few of our guys will follow behind to make sure you don’t do anything stupid.”
“Goodie,” she says and slowly climbs the stairs with what little strength she has left as Heidi remains behind her.
Laughing, Lex shakes her head. “You know, if the situation was different, I think I’d like her.”
“So, what’s your plan?” Raena asks. “Gonna put a bullet in my brain?”
“You’re too stupid for your own good. Lex put a knife in Cinder’s hand, not a gun, dumbass. Besides, a gun is too easy for you. Too quick,” Everlee says and holds a blowtorch in her hand. “We’re gonna play a game to see how much pain you can handle before you pass out.”
Her eyes widen, and she looks at her son. “You’re going to let them do this? To your own mother?”
“As far as I’m concerned, you died the moment you shot my wife,” he sneers and walks to the stairs. “And you will be soon enough.”
“William!” she cries out. “Don’t let them do this!”
“You don’t get to give me orders anymore. I owe you shit, Raena. While I can’t kill you myself for almost killing the woman I love, I will not stop it from happening.”
Holding up a gloved hand, Lex smiles. “And as his best friend, I will be the one assisting this whole thing. You’re not my mom, so I don’t give a fuck about you.”
“And you almost killed my daughter,” Everlee says. “Technically, you did, and I’m going to show you just how big of a mistake you made by showing up that day.”
She turns on the torch and holds the flame to the underside of Raena’s left bicep. Raena screams out in pain as Venom runs up the stairs, unable to watch. No matter how much he hates his mother, he can’t stay here for this.
Crinkling her nose, Lex waits until Everlee pulls the flame away. “That’s a sensitive spot, ain’t it?”
“You fucking psychos!”
“You have no idea,” she says and laughs maniacally. “And before you say what everyone who ends up down here does, you can scream all you want because the room is completely soundproof. No one will come to save you.”
Everlee touches the flame to her neck, and she cries out loud enough to hurt Lex’s ears, making her wince in pain.
“I think she’s testing out the soundproof theory,” Everlee shouts.
