Page 38 of Property of Grifter
“Alex, hand me your knife,” I order.
Alex fishes it out of his pocket.I take in the fact that his hand trembles slightly.He hands it over like a kid handing in a failing report card to his parents—nervous, eyes going everywhere but to me.“Here,” he mumbles.
I flip the blade open, pointing the tip to Bo’s cheek.The metal glints, a thin, hard promise.“Let’s try this again.”I keep my voice careful and controlled.“I asked if you understood what I told you, shit-for-brains.”
Bo tries not to answer.“Fuck you,” he hisses.
I press the knife into his cheek, then cut a jagged but deep line at a slant.The skin parts and blood pours quick and bright.He yells like a stuck pig.Good, I want him to scream.He needs to know the price of crossing me.“You cut me!”he yells, sounding completely surprised.
“I warned you,” I mock him, and laugh.“You’re the one that had to make things more difficult.”I carve another slanted line to meet the first.He hollers again, words spilling out between sobs.“I won’t get around her, I won’t say shit, just stop!”
“Dang it, Bo,” I say, mock disappointment heavy in my voice.“While you were begging like a little girl, you didn’t say please.”
My crew is laughing low in the background — Cowboy whistles.“Fucker looks like he’s about to piss himself.”
“Actually, he stinks like he shit himself.”The laughter builds into a chorus of approval.Alex doesn’t laugh.Alex watches every move I make.I can see he understands why he’s here.This could be him, and he knows that now.His fate is in my hands.
I dig the blade in deeper to Bo’s cheek, angling the second line to meet the first, then connect them, until the cut makes an A—our sign.Anarchy.His blood runs disgustingly wet and hot, covering my fingers.Bo’s screams turn to pleading.I keep going until his begging is raw and breathless.“Please, stop.I promise I’ll stay away from her.I’ll stay away from all of you.Just please stop.”
When the letter A is clear and cruel across his cheek, I release my grip and slam his head down on the gravel.The hard rock bites into his skull.His eyes flutter as he fights blacking out.“That’s got to hurt, Prez,” Cowboy laughs.
“Let’s load up,” I say, and step back so I can look Alex square in the eye.Bo is whimpering but mostly quiet.Then again, threats carved into your flesh tend to end any conversation.“I think you and I understand each other now,” I tell Alex.“But if I need to make myself clearer, I can.”
“No — I get it,” Alex says fast.Too fast.“Georgia’s off limits.No more shit talking.”
I wipe the knife blade down the sleeve of his thermal shirt, allowing the blood to soak into the fabric.The motion’s casual, the same one you use to clean grease off a wrench.I hand him the knife and he takes it without a word.With that done, I turn to leave.
A thought stops me mid step.“C?”
“Yeah, Prez?”
“Did I tell Bo that when I left here, he wouldn’t be able to call the cops?”I ask without looking back.
“You did, Prez,” C answers, and the joke of it hangs in the air like smoke.
I shake my head, sounding regretful yet feeling anything but.This was always part of the plan.“It’s probably frowned on if the new president doesn’t keep his word.Might make me look weak to my men, wouldn’t it, Cowboy?”
Cowboy shrugs.“I don’t think I’d want to follow a man who didn’t back up his threats.”
I let out a dry laugh.Then, I walk back toward Bo.He’s trying to crab-walk backward to get away.His movements are jerky and desperate.“Alex, grab him,” I order.
Alex runs because he’s been told to.I imagine the feel of it: the rush, the fear.He fishes in his pocket for the knife again, but I shake my head.C steps in, and together they hold Bo down.I press his hand flat to the gravel.He keeps it in a fist, claws at the dirt like a dog.
“Let’s get this show on the road, Bo.God knows I’ve already wasted too much time on your dumb ass.I said you wouldn’t be able to call the cops when I left,” I mutter like I’m annoyed with myself.In reality, I’m just torturing the fucker and I’m having trouble hiding my smile.“So, in the interest of time, you have two choices.Flatten your hand out against the gravel for me so I can break your fingers—or I can have my men hold you down and I cut your tongue out.Choose quick, or I’ll choose for you.”
He jerks, eyes huge, his body trembling.“I promised, I won’t bother the girl.I won’t even look at her.Just let me go.”Tears carve tracks down his face.He’s terrified, pleading like a child.It probably makes me sadistic, but I love it.This man hurt my woman and now he’s getting a small taste of the hell she’s lived over the years just because she tried to help him.
“I’m getting tired, Bo,” I say.“You have until I count to three.”
The begging ratchets up at once.“Christ, please, don’t do this!Please, I’ll do anything.”
“One,” I murmur, looking at my watch like I’m bored.
“I’ll leave town.You won’t ever see me again,” he cries.
“Two.”
I look up at a very worried Alex, and again I have to hide my smile.I need to see that he understands my lesson here.“Alex, I’m going to need your knife again.”
