Page 173 of Devil's Bargain

Matt’s hand flies out and connects with Scott’s jaw. “Where. The. Fuck. Is. She?”

Scott smiles through blood-stained teeth. “I used to hold the banknotes out in front of her, and she’d crawl over and suck my dick. Then I’d throw them at her. Those fuckers stick to cum like you wouldn’t believe.”

I wince this time as Matt strikes Scott again, breaking his jaw with a sickening crack.

Scott howls in pain.

Ben chuckles darkly. “Had enough yet?”

“She’s gone!” Blood seeps from the corners of Scott’s lips.

A cold shiver runs down my back, and I stare at him. The sound of rain drowns out the pounding heartbeat in my ears. “What do you meangone?”

Ben crouches down and unzips the duffel bag. “You have three seconds to tell us where she is, or I’ll break every bone in your body.”

Scott cradles his jaw, his eyes widening as Ben pulls out a baseball bat.

“This one has seen some use in its days.” Ben rises to his feet and performs a practice swing. The bat slices through the rain.

“I don’t know where she is!”

“BULLSHIT!” Matt roars.

I look at Josh, who meets my eye.

“I have a better idea,” Steph says, crouching down in front of Scott. In her hand is a six-inch knife that gleams in the headlights. “Have you ever felt pure fear?” she whispers, running the sharp blade down his throat.

“I don’t know where she is!”

Steph cocks her head. Wet strands of her unruly curls stick to her cheek. “I think you do.” She nicks the skin above his collarbone, making him hiss. “You’re about to sing like a bird.” The knife hovers over the trickle of blood. “Last chance, tough guy!”

“Fuck you!” he spits, rainwater flying from his lips.

“Suit yourself!” She slashes him above the eyebrow.

I wince.

His loud screams cut through the night. Blood pours down his face in a steady stream.

Steph watches him intently. “Back in the 1930’s, a slash on the forehead or above the eyebrow was referred to by the Irish as ‘a job in the face.’ Do you know why? Because there are many capillaries in the forehead which will bleed profusely.”

Scott swipes blood out of his eyes, but it’s pointless. It keeps pouring.

“Where is she?” Steph’s voice is eerily calm.

Ben practices another swing behind us in the floodlights. It could be beautiful, the way the raindrops splatter.

“I don’t know!”

Steph slashes him again, closer to the hairline this time. “No?”

Her question is drowned out by his screams.

Dallas holds my hand for support.

“Last chance! Tell us where she is!”

Scott can’t see. His vision is obscured, and the rain fails to wash away the blood pouring from his two slash wounds.

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