Page 44 of Destroyer

Nico

Knoxstandsbeforeme,Caeo sits behind me, and they discuss how they will free my wrists. It is a temporary freedom, and they are worried I will flee. I have no such intentions, but they seem to think I will run. If it is an excuse to have Caeo's arms wrapped around me, I will take it.

“I need you to talk to me, Nico. What happened last night.”

“I made a mistake.”

“Someone died. That isn't a mistake. I have known you for a long time, Nico. You do not make mistakes.”

“I made a mistake last night,” I disagree.

“I should have come to you with my problem instead of trying to fix it myself. But bringing to the boss man a problem of buying a present is not what is done. Fixing for myself is how this works.”

“Would you have gone to Gavriil?”

“Not would I probably.”

Something about the way I said that has Knox pausing for a moment, reworking my sentence in his head until I doubt my English myself.

“OK. But what made you go back and scalp the poor guy?”

“Not did I go back to do that.” I'm distracted by the restraints Knox's wraps around my wrists. They look so simple, fitting snugly and clipping shut, but then he turns a piece of the clip with a basic kind of key, and I am trapped. “These are mine?”

He nods, giving me a minute to evaluate the weight and feel of them.

“I expect more from that story,” he reminds me.

“Not do I go around killing people. This psychopath thing you do tell me about, not is it me if killing is part of it.”

“Having no remorse for the death of another is a sign of being a psychopath. But it doesn't change who you are or how we think of you.” Caeo proves his words with a kiss on my ear.

“I did go to another with my problem. I thought maybe the man would sell to Gregory the painting I wanted.” It is hard to open up to these men. It's hard telling anyone about my life at all, but this is telling on Gregory, and the family doesn't tell tales. “I was waiting in the back, where the man could not see me so I could point to Gregory the painting I wanted. The man still said no.”

“Everything you have done so far sounds reasonable,” Caeo praises. They say I don't feel emotions, but there is definitely something inside when Caeo compliments me.

“If someone then did something bad, would it be snitching to tell?”

“No, Nico.” Knox speaks firmly. “Snitching is when you see something and decide to come and tell me for no good reason. Answering a direct question from your boss is not snitching.”

“So Gregory would not be mad that I tell you what he did?”

“Tell me what he did. Leave him to me,” Knox promises.

“Not did I touch the shop keeper, but when Gregory did, I looked upstairs for anything that could prove the man was not selling because he was family. Not did I find proof of laundering or anything. Then Gregory left. He left the man sitting on the floor screaming. Not could I leave it, so I called you.”

If that was coherent English, I shall deserve a reward, because it felt so wrong to blame Gregory like this.

“I blamed you for it.” Caeo breathes heavily beside my ear. “You did nothing wrong, but you were the one we punished. I am so sorry.”

“No!” I snatch my hands away from Knox as he reaches forward. “Leave them, punish me.”

I need his arms around me to feel his love.

“Nico. You are mine and I'm never letting you leave the house again.” Caeo soothes me.

Knox puts down the double ended clip that had been in his hand and grabs my feet by the rope binding them.

“Keep it on,” I beg them. “Please still love me.”

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