Page 56 of Surrender

Corbin gasps and coughs as air finally re-enters his lungs.

“Good boy,” Cristiano says, his voice quieter but still hard, cold. He shoves Corbin back onto his ass on the ground. “You can finish him off when we’re done questioning him. He doesn’t deserve to share the same air as you.”

Corbin starts laughing. “Good boy? What, does Robin have you convinced he’s some nice, sweet little boy? He’s trash through and through. Defective. Can’t even follow basic fucking orders—”

“Shut the fuck up,” Cristiano snarls, kicking Corbin in the knee and making him scream. “He follows orders when it matters.”

Do I? All I’ve done is provoke Cristiano and demand he give me attention. But I like the warm flutter I get listening to Cristiano—Daddy—defend me.

Good boy.

Maybe I could be good, for him.

“It was Silvano who ordered the hit, right?” I ask, calmer than I feel. “But why did you tell him about me?”

Corbin shakes his head and laughs again, although the sound is a lot more pained than before. “You’ve never been that good at thinking. It’s why I tell you to just follow orders.”

I clench my fists and try to ignore his goading. He must have mentioned me to Silvano somehow. Then the explosion, and…

“Did you want me to die?” I ask, even quieter. “Is that what this whole thing was about?”

“I never wanted you to begin with,” Corbin answers. “Your brother was going to be the one I kept. But you knew that.”

Yes, I did. He’d made a point to bring it up, over and over. If my brother hadn’t tried to hide me. If I hadn’t made a noise and given our position away. If he hadn’t tried to tackle Corbin to give me a chance to escape.

I don’t remember anything else about him. I don’t even remember his name.

How fucking dumb is that? I wasn’t that young. I should have been able to remember my own family's names. But all I remember is the red splattered all over the kitchen tile, and Corbin cursing about his plans going sour.

“Guess you’ll have to do,” he’d said. “Unless you want me to shoot you too.”

And I hadn’t. I’d been so afraid, and I’d gone with the man who’d killed my entire family, and I don’t even fucking remember their names or faces.

I blink quickly to stave off the sudden tears.

“You served your purpose,” Corbin continues, “But I’m tying up loose ends. I don’t need you anymore.”

Cristiano curses, and he punches Corbin in the face. “You’re one sick and twisted fuck, you know that?” he snaps. “Even for our line of business, you’re out of fucking line. How often have you told him that as a kid?” He makes a dismissive gesture. “Fuck it, and fuck you, Corbin. You don’t have a lot of time left, but you know that, don’t you? That’s why your cowardly ass isn’t doing anything but taunting Fox.”

“Fucking mafia hypocrite,” Corbin says, spitting out some blood. “But thanks for providing all the weapons anyone could ever need in my line of business. All the orphaned kids thank you too.”

Cristiano snarls at him, his expression going ugly. It’s probably a thought he’s had before, a thought he’s had to come to accept. “Do you know who killed Don Cresci?” he asks after a moment, though he doesn’t even sound like he thinks Corbin would talk even if he knew the answer.

“Who the fuck keeps up with mafia politics? You guys are very good at murdering each other even without hiring outside assassins.” Corbin starts laughing again. “Maybe Robin did do it. Robin’s very good at killing people.”

“No,” I say, forcing myself to shake off the memories. “I don’t think Corbin knows anything else. We’ll check his computer…” I wince, remembering the layers of security on it. Then I look at Corbin, considering. “We’ll just need his thumb and eyeball for the scanners.”

Cristiano nods. “All right. Keep him alive until we’re sure that’s all we need from him. Do you need help? You still have my knife.”

“No. I can handle it.” I go up to Corbin and dig my fingers into the crease of his eye. Corbin struggles, but Cristiano’s got a tight hold on him.

I’ve never taken an eye out. It’s surprisingly easy, and Corbin’s cursing and shouting is just background noise. I use the knife to sever the nerve, and I stare at the bloody eyeball in the palm of my hand.

Is this enough? Does this make up for everything Corbin’s done to me?

Corbin starts laughing now, despite the blood streaming out of his eye. “Maybe I picked the right one after all. My bloodthirsty little robin.”

“He isn’t your anything,” Cristiano snaps, his eyes dark as he stares at the two of us. “I claimed him, and he’s mine. He’ll be mine until the end of his days. You? You’re not going to live to see the next sunrise.” He twists Corbin around so I can more easily reach his hands. “I don’t think we’re going to need him alive, but hell, I’m not ready to kill him yet. He hasn’t screamed enough. Get his thumb.”

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