Page 92 of F*ckboys

He whimpers, shrinking away toward the wall. Pathetic. This shell of a man bears no resemblance to the monster who ruined my client's life.

"Look at you," I hiss. "You're nothing now. Just like you made her feel. A silly man in a serious cage."

Tears stream down his face. He starts babbling apologies, pleas for mercy. The words blur together, falling on deaf ears.

I straighten up, glancing at Grave. One nod and he grabs the man, wrenching his shackled arm back. A cry of pain pierces the stale air.

"Please stop!" Harvey shrieks. Music to my ears. "I'll never hurt anyone again! I promise!"

I force myself to turn away, to leave him with Grave. His anguished screams follow me up the stairs.

Justice is brutal, but necessary. I steel myself, ready to deliver more. My clients deserve retribution, and I'm more than happy to serve as their instrument of vengeance.

I emerge from the basement, Harvey's screams fading behind me. Upstairs, silence greets me—a stark contrast to the dark deeds taking place below. I figure having Grave knock some sense into Harvey will be a good way to set the tone for our captive. And, I also figure Grave could use a little fun. I know this isn't his first kidnapping-torture-basement-type scenario. He definitely knows what he's doing.

I move through the condo in a daze, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. In the kitchen, I catch my reflection in the window and pause. There's a wildness in my eyes, an intensityI barely recognize. This quest for vengeance has awakened something primal within me.

Shaking my head, I grab a glass of water, willing my pulse to settle. I can't lose control, especially right now. There are more battles to be won for my clients, more justice to be meted out. I need to remain clear-headed. Still, there's something about taking a grown man—a grownbadman—that has me excited. Like when you spend all day summoning the courage to go on the biggest, scariest water slide imaginable, and then you finally do it, and immediately want to go back and do it again. That's me. Let's kidnap another fucker right away!

My phone buzzes with a new message. It's from Aksel, checking in, asking about my day. I stare at the screen, a knot forming in my stomach. The sweet, gentle Aksel of today. If he knew what I was capable of, would he still look at me the same way?

I think back to our last date, how his smile soothed my soul, and how his laugh filled me with light. He sees the best in me, even when I can't see it in myself. I crave his warmth, his goodness. It makes me feel human again.

But the basement still calls to me, its icy darkness a lure I cannot resist. My clients need me to embrace that darkness so I can drag their tormentors into the light. I try to picture his face if he accidentally stumbled on the torture basement. What he'd think of me. How quickly he'd run away from me and into some other woman's arms… Carissa's, maybe. I shudder at the thought.

I close my eyes, tension gripping my shoulders. Two sides war within me—the woman seeking connection with someone who may be my soulmate, versus the avenger stalking the shadows. I have a revenge business to run, and Aksel isn't entirely off the hook yet. I'm still collecting information to decide what happensto him. I want to be both, a lover and an avenger, but I'm worried the universe is going to make me choose.

For now, I'll continue to keep these worlds separate. Aksel, despite the turbulence he caused me years ago, is my current refuge from the storm, and it's vital that he doesn't find out what's going on with Harvey or any other client targets. I tap out a vague reply, warmed by his affection yet chilled by my deceit. I'm balanced on a knife's edge.

All I can do is move forward, one act of vengeance at a time, hoping I don't lose myself—or those I care for—along the way.

My boots thud against the cold concrete as I descend into the shadows of the basement. The man's eyes follow me, wide with fear, as he watches me descend the stairs. Good. Let him taste what Claudia tasted for two long years trapped in his clutches. He's acquired a couple of bruises since I last saw him—a black eye, a fat lip. His nose perhaps looks a little more crooked than last time I set eyes on it.

I slam the tray down, the sharp clatter echoing through the confined space. "Eat up," I snarl. "It's more than you gave her."

He reaches tentatively for the food, but I swat his hand away. "Not yet, actually. First, you listen."

I lean in close, the faint basement light flickering across my face. "You took everything from her. Her hopes, her freedom, her spirit." My voice drips with contempt. "She was your lover, and you crushed her."

He cowers under my accusing words. "I didn't mean to," he whimpers. "I just wanted to protect her—"

"Protect her?!" I slap him hard across the face. The sound ricochets off the cold walls. "You isolated her from the world and called it love. You broke her and called it concern."

I grab his bearded chin, forcing his watery eyes to meet my fiery gaze. "She trusted you. And you betrayed that trust. Just like he did."

Bitter memories flood through me as I see Aksel's face in this sniveling man's. The one who claimed to love me but left scars far deeper than this brute's.

"He?" the man quirks a bloodied brow, looking confused.

"Nevermind," I shake my head as my fingers dig into the man's jaw. "Men like you take what isn't yours to take. You destroy beauty and call it correction." My words drip with venom. "It's an unhealthy, misogynistic form of control. It's abuse. And you, Harvey Maxwell, don't get to play God with people's lives."

I fling his head back and stand tall, every muscle taut. His neck is tucked into his shoulders, eyes bulging with fear and discomfort. "You're in my world now, and Iwillteach you the meaning of helplessness. I'll show you what it means to be at the mercy of someone else." My voice echoes with righteous fury. "Justice will be done here. No matter how long it takes. So don't even bother to think about escaping, or that you can bribe me to let you go. You'll be allowed to go once you've learned your lesson and made things as right as can be."

I turn sharply and climb the stairs, not waiting for a response. The darkness clings to me as I return to the light, my soul wrapped tight in vengeance's embrace. I haven't had the opportunity to hold a target captive in my home before, and I have to say, I'm starting to quite like it. It's like therapy with a captive audience who thinks you're a complete lunatic, who is on edge because they think you might murder them, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I emerge from the basement, the lingering adrenaline from my confrontation still coursing through my veins. As I step backinto the normalcy of my condo, the two worlds feel strangely disconnected.

I move to the window and stare blankly outside, the image of Aksel invading my thoughts. I see his smile, feel his touch, hear his laugh. The man who makes me feel treasured, desired. Who looks at me like I alone command the stars, the stock market, and of course, his cock.

---